Love Letters
by DarkRose Dilettante
Summary: Twenty six letters, twenty six moments to remember. Because both of them know that love isn't always as easy as A-B-C. Shinku x Jun
1. A is for Apple

**Hello! I'm back, and this time I've switched back to my default couple of the ShinkuxJun pairing. Man, it feels good to be writing for these two again :) Basically the idea for this is the alphabet - twenty six letters starting twenty six themes for twenty six chapters of ShinkuxJun oneshots. You just can't get enough of this couple XD**

**I'm also taking suggestions each week for the new letter of the next chapter. So since the next letter is 'B', please send in 'B' words :3 I really appreciate the help. :)**

**Hope you like it. I might be a little rusty since I haven't been writing for this pairing lately. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rozen Maiden or any of its characters.**

* * *

**_Love Letters_**

**A is for APPLE**

Jun can't quite believe how stupid he must be to have agreed to this.

"Again, Nori? Snow White _again_?"

Nori cringes a little as Jun loudly expresses his irritation.

"Well, it was really popular last time so they wanted to do another production."

"And why exactly do you need us to help you practice? You already know all the narrator's parts anyway!"

"But Jun...that was months ago...I've forgotten everything..."

Groaning, Jun slaps his hand to his forehead and slumps down onto the couch. He supposes he really doesn't have a choice, since Nori is begging so earnestly – either Shinku will reproach him for refusing to lend his assistance to a lady or his own conscience will get the better of him and he'll feel guilty for brushing off his sister.

Either way, it is pretty much a lose-lose situation for him.

"Ohohoh...so the chibi actually decided to help his sister for once..."

Correction: it is one hundred percent, absolutely the worst case scenario that can possibly happen. Jun sends his most lethal death glare at Suiseiseki, who is standing there in the evil queen's cloak, cackling like the wicked witch of a doll she is.

"Why don't you just go and stick your head in the washing machine?"

Suiseiseki ignores his insult, instead smirking devilishly.

"Rejoice, chibi human, desu. This is your chance to redeem yourself. Since last time you totally chickened out and didn't even try to – "

"SHUT UP!" Jun bellows, lunging for the Gardener, but she jumps swiftly out the way and he lands on his face on the floor, humiliated and mortified as he recollects the events of the last Snow White practice he'd been in.

_I-I have to – kiss – her...?_

_There's no way..._

_My partner's a doll...!_

_There's no way I'd kiss..._

"Hahaha, you know you wanted to, didn't you, you little dirty chibi desu..." Suiseiseki teases, running around the room whilst Jun furiously pursues her.

"Why you – "

"Unyuu! I want to join in too!" Hinaichigo soon joins in Suiseiseki's taunts.

"Please, may we get started? I do not wish for this to cut into my tea time," Shinku's voice cuts calmly through the steadily building chaos. She raises her cup of tea to take a sip just as Jun turns in her direction, and he finds himself inadvertently staring at her lips.

Is it just him, or does the room suddenly feel as hot as if he's standing in the middle of a fire?

"Ooohhh, the chibi's gone all red and shiny...like an apple, desu!" Suiseiseki holds up a big, incredibly round, bright red apple, as if to emphasise her point. She laughs madly at Jun's crimson face.

"Is Jun embarrassed about being the prince, nano?" Hinaichigo asks innocently, tugging at the bottom of Jun's shirt. "Are you embarrassed about kissing Shinku?"

"Th-thats..."

"There's nothing to worry about, Jun. Shinku won't bite," adds Souseiseki, trying to sound helpful but probably making it worse. Her blonde sister's eyebrow twitches faintly.

"Yes, I won't bite." Shinku's tone is dry.

"And besides, you have her permission so it's not like you'll get slapped or punished or anything. Shinku's letting you. There's nothing to be scared of."

"I'm...not...scared..." Jun splutters, avoiding both Souseiseki and Shinku's eyes.

"Ah, I see, the chibi's nervous because it's his very first kiss, desu. Oh, the innocence of young love! He's still an inexperienced virgin..."

"JUST STOP TALKING, YOU DAMNED DOLL!"

"Hahahaha, you are _so_ definitely scared now, you're even redder than this Snow White's apple..."

"You're just bitter 'cos you got stuck with the evil old witch part again!"

"A-Am not! And what's with the 'old' witch, desu?"

"Yeah, that's right, you're an old, evil hag, aren't you?"

"NOT! I'M THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EVIL WITCH QUEEN IN THE LAND DEEESSSSUUU! NO WAIT, I'M NOT EVIL! I'M _MISUNDERSTOOD\_! THERE'S A _DIFFERENCE_!" Suiseiseki howls, thrusting the huge red apple in Shinku's face.

"W-wait! I haven't gotten up to that bit yet! No, I haven't even started narrating the story yet! The showdown between the witch and the prince doesn't happen until _after_..." but Nori is too late, as Shinku takes a delicate bite out of the apple and falls dramatically to the ground.

"AAAARRRRGGHHHH!" Hinaichigo screams in a voice loud enough to make Jun's ears start to bleed. "Shinku – I mean, SNOW WHITE IS DEAD! ARRRGGGHH!"

"Never fear! The prince will save her with true love's first _KISS_."

"Dammit, Souseiseki, _you didn't have to yell the 'kiss' part!_"

All this time, Jun had been mentally preparing himself for this moment. Not that he would ever tell anyone else, or mention it aloud, but much to his embarrassment, he had regretted not taking the chance to go through with the kiss, and he had actually thought to himself afterwards that the next time an opportunity presents itself to him, he will not hesitate. Unfortunately, as Souseiseki casually emphasised that last word – "_KISS_," suddenly Jun finds himself frozen, rooted to the spot, unable to move.

As if caught by some spell, his body simply refuses to move the way he wants it to.

_But...my partner is a doll..._

_I wouldn't...kiss..._

_I wouldn't..._

No, he wouldn't, but he can't deny that he wants to.

And because he wants to, Jun thinks. _To hell with it, I WILL._

_I'll kiss her..._

Because Jun is the prince and Shinku is the princess, and every so often out of nowhere, life gives us a fairytale.

And this is how fairytales go.

Suiseiseki's jaw almost unhinges in shock as Jun actually goes and leans in over Shinku as if he is really about to kiss her. Souseiseki looks impressed, Hinaichigo looks excited, as does Nori (...in a slightly different way, though...*cough*)

It isn't hard to imagine Shinku is a princess. She looks every bit the part, with her flowing golden locks, long, elegant lashes against flawless pale skin tinged with a delicate pink across her cheeks, perfect rosebud lips...He pauses first, uncertain if Shinku actually will allow him to kiss her after all; she _is _the one who slaps him for mere act of touching her shoulder 'too casually', and other things like that. So for a kiss...

But no, he has promised himself. And besides, he thinks, if a slap or a kick and bit of lecturing is the worst he will get, it is worth it. It is more than worth a kiss.

So Jun lowers his head and gently presses his lips against Shinku's. She is incredibly soft, so much so that he finds it hard to believe the lips he has just kissed are those of a doll. Not only are they soft, but they are very warm too.

The moment lasts for only a fleeting second, and he draws back quickly, his face already burning so red that if they closed the curtains and turned the lights out he'd be glowing in the dark. Shinku's eyes flutter open and she stands up, brushing herself down with her back to Jun. When she turns around to face him, her face is as expressionless as always, but her cheeks have blossomed into a deeper shade of scarlet and there are mysterious flickers in the depths of her eyes.

"Hm. I must say I am surprised. I thought you wouldn't."

Jun just nods dumbly, finger his lips. He expects Shinku to slap him at any moment, for such inappropriate behaviour towards a lady, but she doesn't. She just resumes her seat on the couch and starts sipping at her cup again. Suiseiseki is so shocked she can't speak, she just plonks down on the ground where she is standing and sits there, staring from Jun to Shinku and back again.

"KKKYYYYAAAAA~~~ That was so romantic!" Nori squeals like an avid fangirl, all thoughts of rehearsing gone. Souseiseki sits beside Shinku, impressed, astonished and satisfied all at once, and Hinaichigo, inspired by what she has observed, is already decorating the floor a crayon picture of 'Prince' Jun rescuing 'Snow White' Shinku.

It was only the shortest, most fleeting of moments, but it had been enough for Jun. He's only just noticed it, but when he's so close to Shinku, he can detect that pleasant fragrance of roses about her, faint hints of the crisp smell of fresh tea...

But then as he briefly licks his lips, there it is; the subtle traces of something else...

And he realises it.

After all, it is what the witch gave Snow White.

Shinku's lips...her kiss, it tastes like apples...

Only much, much sweeter.

* * *

**Reviews are very, very much loved and appreciated :3 So please XD**

**And it'd be great if you guys could please send in suggestions for the next letter - 'B'? I'll pick a word and then write something on it XD So please help :3**

**Thanks for reading~!**


	2. B is for Biscuit

**Chapter 2! Thanks Hikari no Destany for the theme :) Thanks also to Sin Oan for the suggestions and also Mew Aqua Spirit for reviewing XD**

**Please keep submitting words...otherwise I'll have to find one myself, and that will probably take ages because I'm so indecisive, so...**

**Enjoy! :3**

* * *

_**Love Letters**_

**B is for BISCUIT**

"Say that again." Suiseiseki stares at the fifth doll of the Rozen Maiden standing before her. Shinku makes a small noise of frustration, and looks down sideways, blushing awkwardly before muttering again.

"Please...teach me...how to make biscuits."

Suiseiseki continues to gape at Shinku as if the blonde has just grown an extra head. A rather uncomfortable silence descends on the room. Hinaichigo drops her crayon midway through creating an artistic rendition on the floor of Jun 'dancing in a field of flowers' (only it looks more like a fat black blob surrounded by lots of multicoloured scribbled squiggles). Souseiseki blinks.

"W-well?" Shinku huffs, abruptly breaking the silence and turning several more shades of red. A teasing grin slowly spreads across Suiseiseki's face as this incredible revelation finally sinks in.

"Ohohoh, desu...so you've finally realised how awful you're cooking is, and you've come to seek the guidance and wisdom of the greatest maestro chef Suiseiseki, have you?" The Gardener places her hands on her hips and leers down at the crimson doll. Shinku looks as if she is about to come up with a retort, but instead her lips tighten and she remains silent.

"Hahaha, as I expected, desu. Well, if it's baking biscuits you want, then you've come to the right person." Whilst none of the Rozen Maiden are particularly adept at cooking, Suiseiseki is at least indeed, very good at baking things; cakes, biscuits, cookies, pastries...unfortunately, her talent stops only there, and she can't very well cook other foodstuffs, like boiling eggs or making pasta. Still, Shinku surmises, the ability of baking biscuits is enough.

"Heh. Who would've thought? Shinku making biscuits of her own accord. The Armageddon must be approaching," Suiseiseki laughs gleefully, poking her twin in the ribs as they sit at the kitchen table, watching Shinku work away.

"Don't be mean, Suiseiseki. I'm sure Shinku has a very important reason for baking those."

Souseiseki is several times more observant than her twin when it comes to matters such as these. Indeed, it has always been that Souseiseki seems to be the only one to notice Shinku's subtle and understated, and sometimes somewhat strange and unpredictable mood swings. Of course, though she would never say anything aloud, Souseiseki already has her suspicions as to the real purpose and intention of Shinku's sudden interest in biscuit baking.

**~_Three days ago~_**

_The doorbell rings, and Jun trudges downstairs to answer it._

"_Oh, hello Tomoe."_

"_Uh, hi Jun. I just wanted to drop this off..." _

_Jun stares down at the box Tomoe dumps in his hand. He lifts the lid to find several slices of what must have once been an exquisite-looking cake._

"_I had some left over, you see, so I thought..."_

"_Wow, that must have been a great cake." Jun takes a bite out of one of the slices. His face instantly lights up. "Amazing! That is one hell of a cake."_

"_Really? You think so? I made it myself."_

"_Are you serious? Whoa, Tomoe, you're an incredible cook. This cake is just..." Jun takes several more bites, and with every mouthful he looks like he is enjoying himself more and more. Tomoe smiles._

"_Well, I'm really glad you liked it. I'll give you a whole one next time, to share with the dolls..."_

"_Thanks, Tomoe. This is really..." the look on Jun's face, that wide smile, is enough to say it all. As the door shuts after Tomoe, Jun turns around, still gobbling down bits of cake._

"_I must be really lucky to be able to taste Tomoe's handmade cooking." His expression is radiant; unbelievably happy._

_And from the top of the stairs, Shinku watches._

**_~Present time~_**

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I swear I just thought I heard you say you baked biscuits for me, or something crazy like that." Jun swivels around in his chair to find Shinku glaring at him, the corner of her mouth twitching with annoyance.

"It is impolite to not give a lady your full attention when she is speaking to you," Shinku pauses, and her eyes flicker away from Jun, a fine red flush blossoming across her cheeks. "You – you did not mishear. I – I would like to invite you to eat these biscuits I baked for you." She holds up the tray she is holding and Jun sees that it is laden with...

Well, Shinku called them biscuits just now, but they really look more like...actually, Jun can't quite tell _what_ they look like, but the most certainly _aren't_ physically recognisable in even the slightest way as biscuits.

"Er..." The medium hesitates, the full realisation of his situation having not quite sunk in yet. His mind is still unable to completely register the fact that _Shinku_ has gone to the trouble of actually _making biscuits_ for _him_.

_What in the name of God is going on...?_

"Ah, Shinku? Are you feeling well today?"

"What do you mean, servant? Of course I am feeling fine! Now will you eat one or not?" she snaps, looking more irritated with every passing second. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Jun can't really tell with the circumstances, Suiseiseki chooses at that moment to enter the room.

"Oh, so _this_ is why you asked me to teach you how to make biscuits."

"Y-You taught her?" There is no doubt about it now, at least from Jun's perspective. "You're trying to poison me, you _evil_!"

"Me? Poison you? No, that's Shinku, all by herself, desu."

"I – I am not! The very idea..."

"Ha! The chibi would die if he ate your biscuits regardless of whether you intended to poison him in the first place or not, your cooking is that bad, desu." Suiseiseki turns to Jun, suddenly very eagerly describing the rather horrendous process of Shinku trying, and failing, to cook. "Honestly, I swear, half the time went by with acts of spectacular violence that would shock the rest of the culinary world if they were to see it, desu...there was exploding, funny gas emissions, colour changes...Jun will have to renovate the kitchen, now that it's in ruins..."

"It – it wasn't that bad – you're exaggerating!"

"The chibi will end up like Kanaria, traumatised, scarred for life, unable to go within ten metres of a cookie without breaking out in a terrible rash..."

"S-Suiseiseki!" Shinku manages to momentarily silence the Gardener with a well-aimed hair slap to the back of the head. She holds out the tray of...baked goods...almost beseechingly to Jun. He edges back a little, looking incredibly nervous.

"Ahh..." He is expecting her slap to come at any time, and maybe some demand of "as my servant I command you to eat this," but it never comes. Instead, as he looks up, he is astonished to see Shinku's head lowered, her hair falling lightly over her eyes like a soft, silky curtain.

_When Tomoe...he didn't..._

"Still...no good, I gather?" her voice is almost a whisper; so soft that Jun has to strain to be able to distinguish the words. It is the side of Shinku that he rarely sees – this vulnerable, unguarded side of the proud and dignified fifth Rozen Maiden. Yet, whenever she does expose herself to him like this, he can't help but feel the sudden, almost instinctual urge to protect her, to gather her up in his arms and just hold her. Jun hesitates for a moment, redirecting his gaze down to the tray of biscuits in Shinku's hands. The 'biscuits' are of all sorts of different strange colours and shapes, and he swears one of them resembles the shape of a skull and bones. An omen?

_C-can this even be called food anymore?_

But then he glances up and catches for a brief moment the sad glimmer in the depths of those sky blue eyes, and that alone is enough to make him discard all his hesitation and doubt. To see her standing there looking so small and forlorn – an unfamiliar and slightly distressing sight to him, Jun feels a slight pang, a sting of anguish stir in his chest.

_She went to all the trouble of making them for me..._

_Just for me..._

_I can't refuse something she put so much effort into...even when she knows this kind of thing is difficult for her...she still...for my sake..._

Suiseiseki's eyes almost pop out of her head in shock when Jun reaches out and takes a 'biscuit' from the tray. Shinku gasps faintly and lifts her head to stare at him.

_Because they were made for me..._

He inspects the biscuit he has picked up – it looks suspiciously like a deformed, mutated, horribly twisted bar of soap, and as he takes a generous bite out of it he confirms that it tastes like one too.

_Holy CRAP._

_Oh GOD WHAT THE HELL DID THE SHE PUT IN THIS?_

Still, even as his bloodcurdling mental screams echo through the corridors of his head, he forces himself to swallow and take another bite.

_I, Sakurada Jun, am about to die._

And another.

_I'm dying..._

Just...one more...

_Already. Dead._

This biscuit is probably one of the worst-tasting things Jun has ever had the misfortune to put in his mouth in his entire life. To think that such a small object could hold such an awful taste...he shudders to think exactly _what_ Shinku put into these...baked substances. And yet, despite the fact that Jun will probably be unable to even look at another biscuit in his life ever again, despite that fact that there is now a great likelihood that he will drop down dead right here and now at any moment from poisoning, he finds that it is all worth it to see Shinku smile like that.

To see that smile, which lights up her whole face like the first rays of dawn breaking over the horizon, like the beautiful sunrise which touches the world with shining gold...

It is that kind of smile he wishes to see. It is that kind of smile he wants to protect.

These biscuits...he knows that however atrocious they look or taste, Shinku must have poured all of her effort, all of her heart into making them by her own hand, for him. After all, he understands that Shinku herself is all too aware of her lack of cooking skills. Yet, the fact that she knew she is horrible at cooking, and still works even harder despite that to actually make biscuits for him, unexpectedly touches something deep within his heart.

These biscuits are physical proof. They are labours of love. They aren't something that can be taken lightly because they were made with such strong feelings. With real, earnest, true feelings. These biscuits were born out of her care for him. In the end, Jun thinks, it isn't how good the biscuits themselves actually taste, but how hard she tried, how much care she put into them, how much love she poured into the creation, that makes them worth eating. The very fact that Shinku made them for just _him_ is enough.

Shinku is still standing there, looking at him expectantly, and he swallows the last of the biscuit with incredibly difficulty, and manages to strain a smile. She tilts her head questioningly, doubt still playing in her eyes, and at that moment she just looks so unbearably, adorably _cute_ that it is all Jun can do to restrain himself from just throwing his arms around her and hugging her to his chest, all thoughts and traces of biscuit-criticism lost.

"Very good, Shinku. They're delicious."

It has been a while since Suiseiseki has spoken, and the reason is because she passed out from shock quite some time back. Thus, no one is there to deny or contradict Jun's statement. On the other hand, his compliment seems to hit its intended mark as Shinku's lips curve into a full, genuine smile. Jun almost feels as if that incredibly sweet expression on her face is like a physical blow to his body.

Goddammit, he wants to kiss her so badly right now...

"Well, I suppose you should be feeling privileged as such a lowly servant as yourself was able to taste the biscuits that your master went to the trouble of making just for you...yes, you must feel incredibly privileged..."

_I do_.

Because these biscuits were an acknowledgement of how important he is to her. How much she will do, how far she will go, to secure his happiness. Because he actually means something significant to her.

Jun sighs as Shinku's momentary smile melts back into her usual haughty countenance, and she resumes that loft tone of hers once more. As expected of his proud, abusive, beloved doll. Even so, he can't help but smile himself.

"Thank you, Shinku." And then, despite everything else, "I'd love to have more of your biscuits. Please make more for me."

_I wouldn't rather any other in the world._

"We shall see, servant."

_You will always mean the most._

He would be willing to eat them all day even without her asking.

After all, it is not the taste of the biscuits that is important...

But the feelings carried within them.

* * *

**Whoa, I just realise how looong that was. Well, I hope you guys could put up with it :)**

**Next letter: 'C'. Flood me with all of your 'C' words~! XD**


	3. C is for Crush

**Urgh. Ok, to be honest I didn't really like this chapter after writing it and re-reading it. So please give me feedback. **

**Thanks everyone for reviewing and suggesting words! I got so many I just couldn't choose which one to do :3 But please continue suggesting, it helps :)**

**Also, I might be absent/non-existent online for the next week or so since I have my yearly exams at school, meaning I have to start cramming the entire year's worth of notes and work into my miniscule-sized brain. So yes. Wish me luck~! **

**

* * *

**

**_Love Letters_**

**C is for CRUSH**

"_The truth is...I – I have a crush on you, Kunkun!" _

"_EEHH?"_

BAM!

Suiseiseki brings her fist down on the table, rattling the teapot and saucers arranged carefully upon it.

"Damn that Miss Kitty! I _hate_ her! How can she have a crush on Kunkun, desu?"

"Do not worry, Kunkun will not be led astray by that abominable woman, especially since she is a barbaric cat," Shinku's fist tightens on her cup of tea; nevertheless, she calmly reassures her sister from her stately seat in the middle of the couch.

"Unyuu, I hate Miss Kitty too!" declared Hinaichigo, swivelling around on her bottom to face Shinku with a pout. Her expression gradually melts into one of slight confusion. "...uuhh, what's a crush, nano?"

Shinku initially does not reply, acting as if the little doll had not spoken at all. Frustrated, Hinaichigo jumps up and tugs persistently at her older sister's sleeve.

"What does it mean when Miss Kitty has a crush on Kunkun? Heeey, Shin-kuuu!"

"Hinaichigo, kindly release my arm." Shinku frowns mildly down at Hinaichigo with an unfathomable look in her eyes. "If you do not know the meaning of having a crush on someone then I suggest you take it upon yourself to find out without unnecessarily bothering me." And with that, she leans forward and pours herself another cup of tea, signalling the end of that conversation. Still pouting, Hinaichigo turns to Jun, sitting next to Shinku.

"Jun!"

"No. Go away."

"Juuunnn!"

"Buzz off."

"JUN! JUUNNN!"

"FINE!" Jun glares down at Hinaichigo, who sits and peers expectantly up at him like a child waiting for some bedtime story. He clears his throat a little uncomfortably, wondering how best to explain this to someone as clueless as Hina is.

"A crush is when...when you like someone very much – a lot more than usual."

Hinaichigo stared at Jun blankly for a moment before her eyebrows crease into a tiny frown.

"So...if Hina likes Jun a lot, then Hina has a crush on Jun?"

"Er...nnn..."

"And...if Hina likes Shinku a lot, then Hina also has a crush on Shinku?"

"N-No, not quite like that, Hina...when I say 'like', I mean when you really...you know..." The look on Hinaichigo's face indicates that she does not. Jun sighs, running his hands through his hair.

"It's kind of like falling in love, but just...not fully yet. It's more like something along the way. Like at the beginning when you've only just realised but you're not sure yet." Hinaichigo continues to stare vacantly up at Jun, whereas Suiseiseki starts laughing like he's cracked a joke of some sort.

"The way you talk, chibi human, you must have had a crush on someone before!"

"Wh-what the hell? Don't barge into the conversation like that, you cursed doll!"

"You're such a useless chibi, using such long sentences to explain something as simple as a crush to a little kiddie like Hinaichigo. Her miniscule brain can only take so much, you know," says Suiseiseki, a maddening air of superiority about her.

"Unyuu, Hina's brain isn't mini-scule!"

"Yes it is, it's tinier than the tiniest pea, desu."

"Is NOT!"

"Humph. Either way, I can explain it much better to the chibi chibi Ichigo than Jun can." The Gardener leans in towards Hina's ear, winking conspiratorially and whispering like she is about to reveal the greatest secrets of the universe. Forgetting about her prior grudge against Suiseiseki, Hinaichigo tilts her head up eagerly.

"What's a crush, Suiseiseki?'

"Hohoh...it's really _very_ simple. You see the chibi human over there; he has a _big_ crush on Shinku."

Two jaws drop simultaneously – Hina's in wonder and Jun's in outrage.

"Unyuu...Jun has a crush on Shinku?"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

Suiseiseki smirks triumphantly. "Oh, just stop lying to yourself. It's _sooo_ obvious any knucklehead can see it. You _so_ have a _humongous_ crush on Shinku."

The temperature of Jun's face skyrockets so high he wonders that his cheeks don't just melt right off his face. Shocked, he stutters about, trying to think of some retort to bite back with. None come to mind, and he is left opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, unable to come up with a denial. Suiseiseki seems to take this to mean a victory, and she giggles at Jun's mortified face as Hinaichigo stares on in wonder.

"So...a crush is...like Jun and Shinku?"

"Yes, that's right. When you have a crush on someone you always want to be with them – that's why Jun follows Shinku around _everywhere_. And when you think about them all day, you know how the chibi always gives Shinku _all_ of his attention and doesn't even look at me even though he's also my medium..."

"Who the hell would want to look at you?" yells Jun, struggling to restrain himself from strangling the Gardener.

"Ohhh, I get it now!" Hinaichigo says, her voice filled with awe.

"N-NO!"

"Yes!" Suiseiseki grinned nastily at Jun, and continued to speak earnestly to Hinaichigo, her speech punctuated with flamboyant gestures. "You know how Jun _always_ does _anything_ Shinku tells him to, you see how he always makes tea for _Shinku_ but never for any of _us_... that's because when you have a crush on someone you're willing to do anything for them."

"SHUT UP!

"So...so Jun _does_ have a crush on Shinku!"

"NO! WRONG! I DO NOT!" Growing increasingly desperate with every second, Jun is almost on the verge of tearing his hair out of his scalp with frustration. Unfortunately, Hinaichigo and Suiseiseki both gleefully continue as if he doesn't even exist.

"Jun has a crush on Shinku~"

"DO NOT!"

"Oh, pish-posh, I've seen the way your eyes look at her, desu~"

"Unyuu...looks at Shinku?"

"Yes, Chibi-Ichigo, it's called the look...of _love_..." Suiseiseki makes a dramatically sweeping pose and Hinaichigo gasps, her hands clasped together, staring wondrously up at the Gardener like she is some sort of an idol.

"Why _you_ – "

"Suiseiseki." Shinku speaks up for the first time in the entire conversation, her clear voice cutting crisply through the air. They had almost forgotten she is still in the room, sitting right next to Jun himself as they speak. "Do you not think the joke can stop here?"

It is a mystery to him, and one he keeps to himself, that he finds his heart sinking when Shinku dismisses the whole idea of his having a crush on her as nothing more than a mean prank.

"Heh. Whoever said it was a _joke_?" the brunette doll scoffs, folding her arms and smirking at the scarlet-faced Jun. Shinku levels a firm gaze at Suiseiseki, her tone indicating a certain, unarguable finality, yet her eyes speaking of some unknown emotion stirring within the depths of those irises of serene blue.

"_I_ say so." She directs her attention to the younger doll.

"Hinaichigo, keep your mouth closed. It is inelegant to leave it hanging like that. Ladies do not gawk. Now go and make me some more tea, if you please." Hina makes a face and reluctantly runs off into the kitchen.

"Boorr-rriinngg~" Suiseiseki drawls, folding her arms and sticking her tongue out. "I'm gonna go visit Souseiseki at Grandpa's, desu. See you, Shinku. Chibi-lover-boy."

"OI!" Jun swipes at the laughing Gardener but misses. When she leaves, he suddenly finds himself sitting on the couch alone with Shinku. There is a moment of silence, tinged with slight awkwardness, before he plucks up the courage to address her.

"How would you explain a crush?"

Shinku sighs, and he expects her to dismiss his question and not answer, but to his surprise, her expression changes ever so slightly – the corners of her mouth soften and her eyes grow gentler, almost wistful, almost sad.

"Love grows from the roots which it has been born from. It starts out small, unnoticed, and gradually matures, strengthens, and deepens...more and more until it fills you. Until you feel as if you are going to be overwhelmed. A crush is simply the beginning of that growth, like a newly sprouted seedling. The first realisation of love, if you will. To have a crush on someone is to hold feelings for them; romantic feelings, to be exact. And whilst Suiseiseki can certainly joke about it all she likes..." Shinku suddenly hesitates, and her eyes darken imperceptibly, a subtle shadow flickering behind the blue of her irises.

"...she is as well aware as anyone else that you cannot – do not feel _that_ way about me, however much you do care for me...as...as a medium...so you do not need to get so worked up about her teasing..."

And then, almost inaudibly,"...after all, I am...just...a doll..."

Shinku says it so that no one can hear save for herself, but Jun hears it. He hears it, and suddenly, as if something inside him snaps at the uncertainty, the delicate sadness that threatens to break him, his hand reaches out and touches her cheek, gently but sudden enough to make her jolt with surprise.

A little thrown off by his own abrupt, impulsive action, Jun just stares at his hand on Shinku's cheek, his fingers resting on flawless pale skin with a light touch of rosy pink.

"That's...not..." he says softly, after a few moments of struggling silently to find the appropriate words to express this inexplicable, overpowering emotion that threatens to spill out of his chest. "...you're not just 'a doll'."

Simple words, stated as if they are the answer to everything.

"You're Shinku."

The world seems to stop for a split second, as if to just capture this one, single moment that Shinku and Jun share between them. A fleeting second that carries more significance than all the years they have lived up until now. The tenderness with which Jun speaks, the raw intensity in his eyes, the unsaid words that he aches to have the courage to say to her...the feeling is so strong it is almost tangible. She can almost reach out and touch pure emotion that saturates the air between them.

It is this moment that they both realise it – something much deeper, and much more profound.

A crush is a simple little thing indeed.

Of course, the moment passes, and the end of Shinku's blonde curls go flying through the air, colliding terrifically with Jun's cheek with a resounding _smack!_

"Don't touch me so casually."

"You cursed doll...I was trying to be nice!"

There are few words exchanged between them, but then there is no need for talk. It seems to be some unspoken realisation shared by the both of them that rejects the need to speak of what has passed between them. They sit there, both content with this mutual understanding.

"Just out of curiosity, though..." Jun looks up to see the blonde staring thoughtfully down at her teacup. "Have you ever had a crush before?" Shinku pierces Jun with that sharp, all-seeing gaze of hers, and all the excuses he has thought of die down in his throat.

He can't lie to her of all people. He won't lie to Shinku. She is the one person who is most deserving of his utmost honesty. He values her trust too much to exploit it, even for something as little as this. A betrayal is a betrayal, the truth is the truth. Jun looks down, his face red and awkward.

"I - I used to..." he finally admits, mumbling inarticulately and avoiding Shinku's eyes. "But...it changed...it's different."

He glances up quickly to see the barest traces of a smile gracing her lips before she turns away, and his pulse inadvertently quickens. It's useless to deny what is true, Jun thinks, even if that wicked Suiseiseki was just teasing him. But then, he is not completely lying when he says he doesn't have a crush on Shinku.

A single moment in which the realisation dawns, of something much deeper and much more profound.

No, perhaps he has known all along, he has just been too stubborn to admit it to himself.

That's right; what he feels – this is no longer just a little...

It is a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times...

Infinitely more than just a simple crush.

* * *

**And now off for exam studying. I'll still drop by quickly for reviewing and stuff but don't expect very fast updates. Only for the next week or two. Don't worry, I'll be back straight after my exam week next week and write like it's the end of the world :)**

**Thanks for reading, everyone~! Meanwhile, D words, D words...**


	4. D is for Devotion

**Quick update in celebration of the completion of my Maths and Commerce exam! Next up is History tomorrow :) This is a shorter chapter but I hope that doesn't make it any less enjoyable XD Acknowlegdment goes to Sin Oan for the word of the chapter :D**

* * *

**_Love Letters_**

**D is for DEVOTION**

If there is one thing even worse than having Shinku within range of a cat, it must be this. Truly, it is remarkable how her love for Kunkun seems to exceed everything else. Jun thinks it must be a death sentence for a few certain dolls when Shinku happens upon her favourite dog detective, armless and with the stuffing coming out, as it lies in its sorry state on top of Jun's bed.

"HINAICHIGO! SUISEISEKI!" The blonde rounds up on her two sisters, who had been fighting over the dog detective minutes before, resulting in the ripping of his limb. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are flashing with an anger of magnitude unseen by even Suigintou. It is probably the closest thing to berserk Jun has ever seen Shinku been, as she pursues her sisters around the room, brandishing her cane like a deadly weapon.

"Oh, calm down, Shinku! It's just a stuffed dog!" Suiseiseki yells, scaling Jun's bed to seek protection behind Souseiseki, leaving the unfortunate Hinaichigo to suffer Shinku's wrath.

"How can you say that, much less even think it? JUN!" Shinku swivels around to snap at her medium, sitting at his computer. "Honestly, how useless can you get? How could you allow such a thing to happen? Are you really so thick-headed that you can't even ensure that your master's property remains undamaged? I do not believe I have ever had such a worthless excuse of a human being for a medium..."

Jun winces at this verbal attack. He has noticed that Shinku is infinitely harsher and nastier when she is riled up, and at times, can be almost sarcastically cutting. Unfortunately, at times like these, it is usually he who is exposed to the full impact of her words. Not even Hinaichigo is yelled at as much as he is.

"Fix it!" Shinku snarls – something which she rarely does – as she thrusts the torn Kunkun into Jun's hands. She is _really_ mad this time...

He almost bites back with a retort, but seeing the dark, stormy look on her face, he deems it better to just bear it just this once. Sticking her nose in the air, Shinku leaves the room in a huff behind a terrified Hinaichigo, who has run off for her dear life. The door slams loudly after her.

"Geez, she's getting more and more like a cranky old lady every day, desu," says Suiseiseki, emerging from her hiding place behind Souseiseki.

"That's just because you guys have been annoying her more lately. Can't you find better things to do than trying to get Hinaichigo in trouble with Shinku?" sighs Jun. Suiseiseki's latest hobby has not only been damaging for Hina, but has also been getting on Shinku's nerves. The blonde doll normally had a relatively long fuse, but where it concerned her darling Kunkun she could get upset even easier than Suiseiseki.

Jun turns back to his careful stitching, brows furrowing in concentration as he tries to put Kunkun back together as seamlessly as possible.

"Why do you do it?"

"Eh?" Jun looked up to see Souseiseki staring curiously at him. "What do I do?"

"Put up with Shinku like that. I wouldn't even think of speaking to Master like that. And yet, she does it all the time to you. She puts you down, insults you, orders you around like a slave all the time...I don't pretend to be an expert on human behaviour, but frankly speaking, if it were anyone else, I doubt they would be so tolerant."

"Shinku can't help it. It's just how she is. Believe me, though, I've had plenty of times when I've wanted to just lock Shinku in her case and never let her out." He mutters admittedly, shrugging and scowling.

"But you'd never actually do that. I have met other humans who would." Souseiseki's eyes bore into Jun's as if trying to delve into his mind and read his deepest thoughts.

"Ha! Isn't it obvious? It's because up there in that skull of his is nothing but fluff and empty space!" Suiseiseki scoffs, folding her arms and sticking her nose in the air. She lets out a yelp as a spool of thread goes flying across the room from Jun's hand and hits her on the back of the head.

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"You are something of a fool. You have pledged yourself to someone who shows more love for a stuffed puppet dog than you," Souseiseki points out. It is true too, of course, that Shinku seems to value Kunkun more than she does Jun.

"Ha! It's because he's an idiot chibi. A masochistic, idiot chibi, desu!" Suiseiseki declares viciously, rubbing the back of her head.

"M-masochistic? Where the _hell_ did that come from?"

"Admit it! It's the only reason – you _enjoy_ it when Shinku slaps you at every opportunity she gets, you _like_ hearing her abuse you..._masochist_!"

"STOP GETTING WEIRD IDEAS, YOU TWISTED DOLL!"

"Gyyaa, the chibi got violent!" Suiseiseki lifts her skirts up and runs out of the room doing a very good imitation of the classic damsel in distress but sporting a huge evil grin. Jun sighs, rubbing his temple and turning back to his work, but he finds he just can't concentrate.

Instead, he finds himself mulling over Souseiseki's words. He supposes it is quite true; whenever Shinku does have one of those rare moments of frustration she just can't keep in, he is the one she takes it out on. Whenever she has one of those inexplicable mood swings, it is he who suffers the brunt of her stinging words, acerbic tongue and biting comments.

_If it was anyone else..._

But it isn't.

It's him.

He's seen her angry, seen her sad, seen her tears, and he's seen her broken. But he is also one who has laid eyes on her when she is happy; his eyes have watched her compassion, her kindness, and her smile.

He has heard her crying but he has also heard her laughter.

He has felt her coldness but he knows there is even more warmth in her, if you know where to look.

He has been slapped many times by her, but it is the same hand with which she has caressed him tenderly, the same hand he has held many times within his own.

She shoots him down with her icy tone and sharp reprimands, but her voice is the one that speaks so gently to him, the only thing he wants to hear when all he wants to do is shut the rest of the world out.

It is the same way she has pulled him out of his deepest despair and lifted him to highest peak of joy.

He has seen the worst of her, and he has seen the best of her.

Of course, Jun realises. It is but a simple matter of what is in his eyes and what is in others'. He turns abruptly to face Souseiseki, standing in the doorway, a ponderous look upon her face.

"Souseiseki, do you know?"

The doll stares at him questioningly, surprise evident in her heterochromatic eyes.

"Some people only look at the thorns and are oblivious to the rose. They'll never know what they missed." Jun pauses, lowering his head as he continues stitching, the faintest of smiles flicking across his lips.

"But some people see the rose, and find that it's worth getting hurt by the thorns. They forget the thorns. They accept it as part of the rose's dangerous beauty."

A hushed silence descends upon the room as Souseiseki stares at her sister's medium, eyes widened with astonishment. She continues to gaze at him for some time, until he finally sits up, inspects his sewing, and gives a satisfied nod. The door swings open to reveal the stoic fifth doll.

"Look, Shinku, I fixed Kunkun." He almost expects her to scold him harshly again, but she merely tilts her head sideways, scrutinising his handiwork, and gathers the dog puppet in her arms from him.

"Hmph, I suppose I can show my appreciation once in a while. Thank you, Jun."

Souseiseki watches as Jun's face lights up like the best thing in his life has happened, and wonders. No one will ever quite understand, she muses.

Because no one truly loves Shinku, not the way Jun does.

Outside alone with her sister in the hallway, Souseiseki tugs on the blonde's sleeve.

"What is it, Souseiseki?"

"You're medium is an idiot."

Shinku stops for a good few moments, studying the Gardener with her a cool, considering gaze. To Souseiseki's surprise, she shakes her head.

"He is not a fool." The corners of her lips twist upwards, and her eyes soften. "I do not believe that is the appropriate word you are looking for."

No, on the contrary, Jun knows a lot more than anyone else.

After all, a doll can learn much from standing silently outside and just listening. One thing he doesn't need to know is how she has not left the hallway all this time.

"Seeing the rose, indeed," she murmurs to herself, a wave of affection rolling over her chest. No, Jun is far from an idiot. He's merely found something that discards reason and defies logic.

That word.

She believes it is called devotion.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that :) Thanks for reading~! Next up is E-E-E...**


	5. E is for Experiment

**It seems like it's been a while since I updates this one. Sorry about that :) but my self-esteem levels have been fluctuating wildly lately. And most of the time I feel like my confidence has gone on holiday...somewhere far, far away. ;_;**

**Hope it's not too cheesy for you guys. I felt like it was really cheesy romantic in some bits. =.=' Thanks to Tokyo Neko for the theme. Hopefully I didn't ruin it too much...**

**Otherwise, enjoy! XD**

* * *

**_Love Letters_**

**E is for EXPERIMENT**

"Oh my."

Jun swivels around in his seat to see Shinku standing in his doorway, one perfect eyebrow arched elegantly as she surveys the room with a coolly scrutinising gaze. Wordlessly, her eyes flicker back to him, lips slightly curled with disapproval.

"What is the meaning of this?"

By 'this', Jun concludes, she is referring to the current state of his room; chaotic. There are half-scrunched up balls of paper strewn everywhere across the floor. The waste-paper bin is overflowing with screwed up pages filled with scribbles of formulas, pens and pencils litter the room, and there are several toppling piles of textbooks scattered over Jun's bed with titles printed in heavy upper case letters, declaring with a solemn pomposity their respective subjects: Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

"What are you doing?" Shinku says again, fixing Jun now with a more pronounced stern glare. He makes a growling, mildly frustrated sound and turns back to his cluttered desk, pencil tapping impatiently against the table.

"I'm studying science."

There is a brief silence that indicates Shinku's dissatisfaction with his answer. The back of his neck prickles as he feels her disapproving stare on him.

"The last time I checked, science does not involve the obliteration of one's sense of hygiene and cleanliness," she says frostily, now coming into the room. He turns again to watch her as she approaches him, gingerly poking balls of paper out of her way with her cane as if they are infested with some sort of deadly contagious disease. As she reaches him, Shinku reaches up and raps the side of his chair sharply.

"Tidy this up, Jun. It is like a mine field in here. How on earth do you expect me to walk around in such filth?"

He groans and considers refusing, but right now even cleaning his room seems like a more attractive alternative than wasting his time struggling with a science textbook that is about as comprehensible to him as the German books Shinku reads. The blonde doll seats herself on a vacant spot on his bed and follows Jun around the room with a watchful gaze as he goes about picking up the books and papers flung across the floor and empties his bin.

After a few minutes, Shinku picks up one of the books lying alongside her and flips casually through it. Before long, she is already engrossed in reading. Jun pauses as he returns from emptying his bin downstairs, wondering at how she manages to find even a high school science textbook interesting enough to actually immerse herself in. He has to hand it to her; although she is a doll, she obviously isn't the least bit lacking in intelligence.

"Quite the scholar, aren't you?" he sighs after observing her for a moment. Shinku looks up, her face deadpan.

"Perhaps it is just you who is the intellectually challenged one."

"Hey! It's bad enough with Suiseiseki calling me an idiot! I'm not stupid; I just…need time to absorb stuff."

Shinku nods, the corner of her lips curving upwards in a faint smirk.

"Of course. You are not stupid. You are incredibly stupid."

"OI! I…" Jun trails off, biting his lip. For a moment, he looks as if he is going to retaliate, but then his shoulders slump and he sighs, looking genuinely depressed.

"I'm never going to be able to catch up enough for school. Geez, why do I even bother…damn chemistry…and physics…I just don't get it…"

Shinku studies him silently for a few moments, no longer teasing. She seems to consider something, before glancing back down at the textbook sitting in her lap.

"What is it that you don't understand?" she asks suddenly, her tone surprisingly gentle. Jun stares at her.

"Huh?"

His heart does a funny little skip as she looks up, a completely unexpected smile breaking out spontaneously across her face, momentarily causing him to forget how to breathe.

"You really are such a troublesome servant to get discouraged so easily. I suppose there is no choice for it, really. It is my responsibility as master to save my servant from his own helplessness. Come and sit," Shinku gestures for Jun to sit beside her.

"Y-You're going to help me?" he asks, not quite able to believe what is happening. She raises an eyebrow.

"Do you have a problem with that? Honestly, Jun, did you expect me to be so unkind as to leave you floundering around like a drowning puppy? No servant of mine should be discouraged so easily. And besides," her voice softens, her blue eyes melting from an icy sapphire into the gentle, mild azure of the sky on a fine day. "I have faith in you."

The temperature of the room suddenly seems to rise by several degrees.

Jun clears his throat nervously as he plonks down beside Shinku, looking everywhere but at her. Her moment of temporary tenderness seems to have evaporated however, as she resumes speaking in her usual brisk tone.

"Now, what is it that you have trouble understanding?"

At first, Jun is hesitant, but after a few hearty and much-appreciated encouragements from Shinku (which he supposes he should relish now since she very rarely shows him anything other than her usual cool, haughty detachment), he finds he is able to open up to her quite easily. She doesn't mock him as ruthlessly as Suiseiseki; she is surprisingly gentler than Souseiseki, less distracted than Nori, more helpful than Hinaichigo and much less awkward than Tomoe.

As well as this, Jun supposes, she is being unexpectedly patient with him – she hasn't scolded or reprimanded him with a strict lecture through the whole chapter they manage to cover in just under an hour. What astonishes him further, though, is just how knowledgeable Shinku is and how easy it is to understand her explanations of concepts that have been previously completely unintelligible to him.

"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Jun asks with wonder as Shinku finishes explaining the periodic table to him. The blonde flashes him a look of superiority.

"Unlike some, I chose to put my years to good use."

Well, Jun considers, she _is_ several hundred years old. Shinku has a wisdom of her own.

Still, even after all the time she's spent living with him, she continues to surprise him like this with a warmth and kindness that belies her usual aloof, coldly proud bearing. He doesn't think of it often, but no matter how self-confident Shinku normally acts, she is unexpectedly compassionate beneath the aristocratic image she has erected around herself.

"Shinku…" Jun trails off, suddenly finding himself growing hot and fidgety.

"What?" she sounds disinterested.

"I…thank you. For explaining this stuff. I was having heaps of trouble…and you…you really helped."

She stares at him, some unfathomable emotion flickering briefly across her eyes. Jun hastily looks down, suddenly finding the floor very interesting indeed, cheeks scarlet with embarrassment.

"I-I mean, when you explain it, it's a lot easier to understand than what the textbook says…and…uh…I feel a lot better with science and stuff…yeah…so thanks…" he falters, scratching the back of his neck and looking incredibly awkward.

"Why didn't you ask Tomoe to help you study?" Shinku asks suddenly, looking down at her page. Her tone is neutral but there is a slight crease between her brows. Jun is slightly taken aback for a moment. Of all the replies he'd expected from her, this was not one of them.

"Uh…well…to be honest, it's kind of awkward with her…I mean, we used to be really good friends and all, but after…" he trails off, unwilling to go into detail. Shinku too, remains silent, and both of them sit there for a moment, not speaking. Jun waits for the doll to respond but she is seemingly lost in her own thoughts, or maybe expecting _him_ to continue.

"Er, well, you're really easy to understand…and…I just…I…" he clears his throat nervously.

"I would have thought," Shinku interrupts him suddenly, her frown deepening slightly, "that you would be more comfortable interacting with other people like you…who are…other humans?" she glances at him sideways.

"Isn't that what you want to do? Go back to school, start afresh, make friends with…with _real_ people –"

"_You're_ a real person, aren't you?" Jun butts in suddenly, and she is startled by the intensity in his eyes. A rush of bright scarlet floods his cheeks and he coughs self-consciously. "Um…what I wanted to say was…I…I really enjoy it when you're explaining things to me…I like spending time with you…so…" he looks away over at the corner of the room, perhaps too embarrassed to continue.

What he has said, though, is enough for her to understand what he has left unsaid.

She is a doll

He is a human.

He knows it would have been easier if he just left what was between them alone. It would have been easier to pretend it didn't exist, to ignore it. It would be easier for him to just walk away.

He knows it would be easier to just forget.

But Jun also knows that doing so will be the single regret he will never be able to forgive himself for.

Thus, he has made his decision, and he will stand by it without hesitation or doubt.

"Do you know the scientific method?" Shinku asks suddenly, shaking Jun out of his awkwardness.

"Um…"

"You must first ask the question that you wish to find the answer to. For example," She hesitates, a mysterious shadow flickering across her face, and continues in a voice so quiet Jun almost doesn't hear it at all. "Is it possible for a human to fall in love with…say, a doll?"

He stares at her, but she is looking down at the textbook in her lap with a softly ponderous expression, cheeks stained with a faint rosy blush.

"After that, you conduct background research, and from that, formulate a hypothesis; that is, a prediction of what you think the outcome of your results will be." She pushes the science book aside off her lap and turns to Jun. "Then, you must conduct tests to find conclusive evidence to prove your hypothesis."

Shinku leans forward, but Jun doesn't move back.

And before he even has the time to catch his breath, she is already kissing him.

There have been times when she has lost faith before, but she thinks that, like she has been telling him before, she must believe in it; this time, for her own sake. She'll believe in love, because it is one of those things that you must experience to be able to understand.

"_I choose you, Shinku."_

Is what he wanted to tell her.

"_And I always will."_

It is as simple as that.

"_Above everything and anything else."_

You have to fall in love to know what it is.

Shinku almost wants to laugh as she thinks no amount of 'background research' would be able to tell her that.

_My hypothesis...might just be proven correct._

She draws back finally, her eyes the colour of the ocean on a summer's day; deep sapphire blue, sparkling with a light that seems to originate from within, bright and profound all at once, filled with a depth that is as intense as any human's. Her lips are curved gently upwards, the corners of her eyes softened where her smile has touched them.

Her smile, which reaches him like sunlight stroking his face, that warmth which seems to permeate the very pores of his skin.

"What…what was that?" he whispers almost reverently, finally finding his voice. She peers back at him with a hooded gaze, and she is so close he can see the details of her long lashes against her pale cheek.

The spell of the moment passes and Shinku slides off his bed, murmuring so softly Jun thinks he must be the only one in the world who can hear her.

"That," she says softly, "was the experiment."

"And…was it a success?"

She pauses, and he watches, heart skipping a beat, as her smile widens.

"Yes."

* * *

**Ok...so I think I maybe I did the theme weirdly. But hey, any excuse to make them kiss, right? ;_;**

**And yeah, I know the ending was random too! And probably made people go _wtf?_ *sobs***

**Ah well, at least I made them kiss. I like doing that. Please review! :D**


	6. F is for Flowers

**Hello there everyone~! The letter F has finally arrived. I got this idea from somewhere online...I can't help but feel this chappie's not as well written. But oh well, I kinda like it. :D Thank you to SailorCosmicRose for the original theme word! It's interesting to note that there are other words that also fit in with this chapter that also begin with F. :)**

**__****_

* * *

_****__****__****__****__****__****__**

Love Letters

******F is for FLOWERS**

**(Fake)**

**(Forever)**

It has been a week.

Shinku considers this as she sits on Jun's bed, mulling over the daily calendar hung up on the opposite wall where it is easily visible. She has been preoccupied with this damn, dastardly riddle for an entire week. Feeling more than a little annoyed and frustrated, she can't help but think that she wasted far more time than she would have preferred, contemplating what should be just a simple, small, insignificant occurrence.

Of course, it somewhat irritates her further, and makes her feel all awkward and uncomfortable, when she realises that this is not the first time he has been the cause of what can almost be called an obsession. Indeed, that is what Suiseiseki has already taken the liberty of declaring it to be: a maddening, exasperating and, on Shinku's side, completely reluctant, obsession.

She must look pathetic indeed, like a blushing schoolgirl mooning after the boy she has a secret crush on, thinks Shinku dryly. Trust Jun to induce the type of behaviour in her that she would never normally partake in, and to concern herself with details she could never normally even bother considering.

Honestly, she thinks, this medium is almost more trouble than he's worth.

_~ One Week Ago ~_

"_Ahhh! Jun's home laaaate!" Hinaichigo sings as Jun walks into the kitchen carrying a large bundle under his arm. "Unyuu~ Jun bought us present! Presents!" _

_Jun grunts as the little doll jumps excitedly around him, squealing and clapping her hands with delight._

"_Here," he mutters, dumping his load on the table. _

"_What is it? What's that? What is it, Jun?" Hinaichigo chatters excitedly, dancing around on her toes and trying to peek over the boy's arm. She gasps with delight and wonder as Jun turns around and hands her a bunch of flowers; strawberry flowers they are, wrapped in glittery pink paper._

"_I love you, Jun! Hina loves Jun!" _

"_What's all this racket? Can't you two chibi's keep it down, desu?" Suiseiseki's sharp eyes fall on the packages sitting on the kitchen table. "What's that?" she demands warily. Her suspicion soon turns into delight as Jun sighs, rolls his eyes and presents both her and Souseiseki each with a half-dozen bunch of brightly coloured assorted garden flowers._

"_Hmph. It seems you're not always so chibi-minded after all," Suiseiseki pouts, but her lips are curved gleefully. _

"_Thank you," says Souseiseki on behalf of her adamantly ungrateful twin, taking in the gentle fragrance of her gift. Likewise, Jun gives Nori her own bundle of flowers, much to his sister's greatest joy. At that moment, Shinku appears in the doorway, surveying the scene with her calm, sky-blue gaze._

"_What's this?" she questions, brushing an over-excited and babbling Hinaichigo aside. Jun picks up the final gift still left on the table. _

"_There's a new florist open a few streets down that I passed on my home from the library, so I thought I might as well get these..." he explains, before trailing off a little awkwardly as he hands her a bouquet of a dozen exquisite red roses. "They...they reminded me...of you...kind of..."_

_Shinku takes the roses wordlessly, but her cheeks are faintly flushed, and the barest hint of a smile lingers upon her lips._

"_Gyyaa! Jun, you know roses are symbolic of true everlasting love?" Nori gushes, much to his chagrin._

"_Sh-shut up!"_

"_Unyuu...Shinku got one, two three...Shinku got twelve roses and Suiseiseki only got six!" Hinaichigo points out. "Jun must like Shinku a lot!"_

"_No, look!" Suiseiseki exclaims and points, probably more out of spite than anything else, "that one's a fake! There! Right in the middle...ohohoh, how cheap. The cheap chibi Jun shows his true colours..."_

_Shinku inspects the flower more closely and indeed, it is as Suiseiseki says. The rose sitting in the centre is a fake; it is made of a soft, velvety satin material so skilfully rendered to imitate the original, it could very well be a true rose. The Gardener doll breaks off into a snigger, whilst her twin silently reprimands her with a sharp nudge. Shinku, however, is far too proud to be put down in such a manner, and her eyes harden as she clutches the roses closer._

"_Of course there would be a perfectly good reason why one of the roses is artificial," she scoffs, sounding more assertive than she feels. _

_Later that night, she privately asks Jun about it, but he just shrugs and glances away with an embarrassed blush, saying that she'll find out sooner or later. She questions him again the next day but he changes the topic, or else avoids it entirely, and she relents. Still, Shinku thinks to herself over and over again, he must have had a good reason to place a fake rose amongst eleven other reals ones, and it mustn't be because he is, as Suiseiseki so kindly puts it, 'cheap'._

_He must have a reason..._

_~ Present ~_

Initially Shinku, like Suiseiseki, was inclined to think of this whole thing as perhaps an indirect slight, but the more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Seven days from then, Shinku is still completely baffled, and the bouquet lies at this moment on top of her case, whilst she sits in front of it, a cup of tea handy beside her as she wonders.

Feeling unsettlingly restless, the blonde decides to stand up and remove all the wrapping until the roses lie in a loose bundle across the lid of her case. Carefully, Shinku takes down the vase Nori had given her earlier from Jun's shelf and painstakingly arranges the crimson flowers – even the fake one – in the vase. Though she's never shown the skill or told anyone of it, Shinku had learnt, as with all ladies, the delicate art of flower-arranging.

She sits back down and resumes just staring at the vase, now sitting on her shelf beside her other belongings and various articles of Kunkun merchandise. Only after a few moments does she realise she has spent the entire morning shut away in this room, just staring at Jun's roses. Irritated and fascinated at the same time, she can't help but wonder if perhaps she is slowly going mad.

This is, of course, entirely Jun's fault. If he'd just tell her why, instead of going about it in such a roundabout fashion...

Sighing with frustration, Shinku gathers up the wrapping paper strewn all over the floor and turns to throw it out. A scrap of white catches her eye as she watches the small scrap of paper flutter to the ground like a broken-winged butterfly, to rest amongst the fallen crimson rose petals, scarlet satin ribbon and cellophane of varying shades of red.

Curiosity piqued, she picks up the note – for that is what it is – which seemed to have been overlooked as it was probably caught up, lost and buried somewhere within the folds of wrapping.

It is handwritten in a style she recognises immediately, even though the words have been carefully written in a painstakingly fancy cursive script – Shinku supposes, in the appearance of what one would call 'romantic' writing – the kind used on love letters and such. The words are looped to perfection, every elegant stroke observed with care, dedication and an unimaginable amount of effort.

It is very short and succinct; there is only one sentence, but sometimes it is the fewest of words that mean the most.

As Shinku reads through it, once, twice, three times, for the mere first time isn't enough for her to be able to completely absorb the full impact of this one line; she finds her initial mild curiosity quite abruptly and rapidly transform into breathless wonder.

The world seems to come to a standstill, and for once, she isn't the one trying to catch up to the moment. She's the one getting caught up in the moment.

A mere eight words. Underneath, his name written out in its full sincerity: Sakurada Jun. They're just markings on paper, but they speak volumes.

Every carefully drawn stroke, every painstaking loop, every precise dot, dash and line, must have been created with effort and dedication by loving fingers and hands. The writing itself carries the essence of the writer. If she runs her fingers over the ink, can she imagine how he felt when he was writing this? Perhaps like this, Shinku thinks, in a way, she is touching him, touching his heart, perhaps touching a little of what he felt as he was writing this.

Her sight blurs slightly, and she registers dimly that tears have risen unbidden to her brimming eyes. She lifts a hand shakily to brush the wetness away, not quite knowing if she should be embarrassed for allowing herself to be so overcome with emotion.

Her fingers tremble as they reach out to stroke the remaining soft, velvety petals, and finally, the sleeker, silkier feel of the artificial rose flower in the middle. The roses around it will begin to lose their vibrancy and vigour after several weeks, but this one will continue to remain standing firmly tall and upright.

Smiling slightly to herself, Shinku picks up one of the loose ribbons that had been used in the wrapping and delicately ties the small scrap of paper that has been clutched tightly in her hand, to the faux rose stem. She can't help but read it once more, and marvel at how no matter how many times she sees those words, every time is like the first time – she'll lose her breath, forget momentarily how to breathe, and it will be as if nothing else in the world matters anymore.

_A boy once gave to the one dearest to him, a dozen perfect, beautiful red roses. _

_Eleven were real, and just a single one was fake. _

_He wrote eight words upon a small piece of paper, pouring into a simple little sentence all the feelings he was afraid of expressing aloud, and placed it amongst the deep crimson petals of the divinely exquisite flowers. _

_Others would wonder how something so trivial could explain the significance behind this strange gesture._

_It was because those perfect roses reminded him of how beautiful she was, and how beautiful she made the world, and because there was so much he wanted to tell her, yet so little he could say._

It isn't how much he has said, but what he is saying.

Shinku picks up the small fold of paper and tucks it safely into a fold in the corner of her case, where she'll never lose it. When the other roses eventually fade away, she'll take the fake rose too; the rose that blooms eternally, and keep both it and Jun's words close to her heart forever.

_She wondered why._

_Eleven were real, a single one was fake._

_And he told her,_

_I'll love you until the last one dies._

_

* * *

_

**I think this one was a bit shorter than the others. Hope you enjoyed it anyways~! Thank you so much everyone for reading, I really appreciate your time! :)**


	7. G is for Gullible

**Okay, so the reason why I didn't update this sooner was because when I was writing this chapter, I got kinda lost halfway through and had no idea what I was writing about...so yeah...it's probably weirder and not as good. And it probably would have been more appropriate to upload this on the actual first of April, but then that's a looong way away...so here it is. :)**

**By the way, the title's not centered like it usually is because the stupid formatting thing isn't working on my computer and it won't let me do what I want it to...grrr...**

* * *

**_Love Letters_**

**G is for GULLIBLE**

* * *

Jun should have realised when he woke up in the morning feeling unusually chilly that his day was destined to be doomed.

The date was the first of the fourth – April Fool's Day, possibly the worst possible day of the year when your household consists of a certain group of dolls, who enjoy smashing your bedroom window, slapping you with their hair and kicking you with such force you spend most of your time feeling pain in places you didn't even know you had. That's right, Jun told himself, he should have just stayed in bed the entire morning, when he woke up and realised with some shock that the coldness he had thought was a draught blowing in through his door was in fact due to the lack of any form of clothing on the upper half of his body.

In other words, _someone_ had taken the liberty of removing his shirt whilst he had been sleeping.

"Y-YOU!"

"You can't prove I did anything, desu!" Suiseiseki screams back, obviously trying to hold back an evil laugh.

"I do not particularly care who is responsible for this, but please, Jun, would you cover yourself with some form of appropriate clothing instead of baring yourself so blatantly and vulgarly to the world? There are ladies present," Shinku eyes him distastefully as she sweeps majestically out of the room, her nose in the air.

"I. Will. _Get. YOU._" Jun hisses at Suiseiseki, who cackles and makes sure to fly her suitcase through his _closed_ bedroom window as she takes her leave.

The rest of the day, for Jun, is spent in a spectacular series of mishaps – Hinaichigo's strawberry unyuu hidden in his slippers, Kanaria ambushing him with a water gun on his way out of the toilet, several death traps (probably rigged by Suiseiseki) that, twice, resulted in him almost losing his nose and all the fingers on his left hand and, more traumatically, a rather nasty incident with Souseiseki's shears.

"Why are there bits of hair all over the couch and on the floor…?" Jun grumbles groggily as he sits up from his nap on the couch.

"Jun…"

The medium looks up to find Shinku staring at him with a strangely horrified expression upon her face.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? And what's so funny, Souseiseki?"

As if carefully choosing the right words in which to phrase her question, Shinku hesitates for several good, long moments before responding.

"Jun…what…_exactly_…did you do to yourself?"

"What do you mean? Nothing. I was just sleeping here."

"…."

"Shinku?"

The blonde doll gives another _look_, before taking a slow sip of tea and turning back to the book on her lap.

"I will say nothing."

"What's wro – " Jun stops dead as he catches a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the television screen. "HOLY – SOUSEISEKI WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?"

The Gardener doll coughs.

"I just rearranged it a bit."

"DID THAT DAMN EVIL SHE-DEVIL PUT YOU UP TO THIS?"

"If you're talking about Suiseiseki…then, no. Well, on second thoughts, maybe she encouraged the idea…"

"Souseiseki," Jun voice is low and furious as he inspects the damage done to his once normal hair. The top of his head now looks as if someone has mown through his hair whilst undergoing severe spasm attacks. "If you ever touch another pair of scissors again…"

"It _is _April Fool's, Jun. And besides, it's no big deal. Shinku can fix it."

Jun looks up to see the blonde doll's face hidden behind her book, but he swears he can hear her surreptitiously disguise a short laugh as a prim cough. Several minutes later, with a full head of hair and exceedingly foul mood, Jun finds himself seated on the couch, reluctant to move anywhere else around the house in case there are more death traps waiting for him. The back of his neck prickles, and he turns to see Shinku looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Well, I suppose it's your turn to prank me now? Just make my wonderful day complete?" he asks scathingly. Shinku merely shrugs, her eyes flickering back to her page.

"I take no interest in such trivial follies."

Jun arches an eyebrow disbelievingly, knowing full well that Shinku can be just as bad as Suiseiseki when she feels in the mood for tormenting him. The blonde doll catches his look and an inscrutable flicker glimmers behind the deep blue of her irises.

"Why, Jun, I am offended by your distrust. How could you even think for a second that I would wish to harm you?"

Jun can practically hear the alarm bells ringing in his ears now, and stares suspiciously at the doll, knowing that something is amiss despite the completely deadpan look on Shinku's face. She returns his gaze calmly, maintaining an impassive expression.

"Okay, what are you doing?"

The blonde's face shifts into a look of slight scandal, and she clasps a hand to her chest.

"Do you not understand…my true feelings?"

"Ha!" Jun yells triumphantly, having been subject to this particular joke before. "I've seen that one, Shinku. You won't be making me look stupid today." He grins victoriously down at the doll, but her head is lowered slightly. Frowning, Jun bends to look at her face.

"Oi…hey…Shinku…?"

The blonde lifts her head to look up at him with such an expression of bittersweet sorrow that he has never seen on her face. Her eyes are even glimmering slightly, brimming with unshed tears.

"I knew it," she whispers in a grief-choked voice. "I should have known better…than to hope…that you would believe me…"

Taken aback, Jun stutters, not quite knowing what to say. The sight of Shinku tearing up causes an unexpected pang to stab through his chest. Feeling awkward, yet strangely tender, he pats her rather sheepishly on the head.

"Ahhmm…er…" Deep down he should know that this is nothing more than a ruse, but for some reason the doubt that lingers in his mind makes him realise that it's almost as if he wants to believe she is being serious. "Well, I – "

As if right on cue, a cascade of blonde locks slices smoothly through the air and whips his cheek with a spectacular, resounding _smack!_

"Urgh...should've known this was coming..."

Shinku sighs, her expression returning to its usual look of calm disinterest.

"Honestly, Jun, how many times will you continue to be duped by that old trick? Oh – " she turns back to him, the corner of her lips tugging upwards in a teasing smirk, " – don't tell me you can't help yourself. Ah, the truth is revealed."

"What?"

"Why don't you just admit that you secretly harbour feelings for your master? My, how scandalous."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"But Jun, I am being serious," Shinku says suddenly, the mischievous smile fading quickly from her face. "I do love you very much."

Jun falters, unsure of what to say as his mind struggles to process the abrupt change in conversation. Like when you are walking in shallow water on the beach and the sand shifts under your feet and you find yourself suddenly floating in deep water, Jun feels as though he is floundering in the something much more profound and intense than what had started out as nothing more than a light-hearted joke.

"Shinku, I – "

"Just kidding."

...

...

"What?"

"I was lying when I said I love you. Does your petty, inferior mind find it difficult to accept that?"

Jun opens and closes his mouth silently for several moments, words failing to form on his tongue. Shinku moves too fast for him to follow. Several thoughts and emotions flutter in a confused jumble across his chest before he decides to play it safe and just settle on being indignant.

"D-don't joke about stuff like that!"

"It's your own fault for being so stupid, Jun. A doll can't truly fall for anyone."

The air seems to become very still suddenly, with a strange tension filling the space between them. Jun seems to wince, as if Shinku's light comment has struck a tender bruise in him. He grabs both her shoulders suddenly and fixes her with such a fierce gaze that she is momentarily taken by surprise and doesn't slap him away like she usually would.

"You shouldn't say things like that. It's a lie."

Shinku gazes levelly back at him.

"If a doll did come to love a human, those feelings would be what you call a lie. They aren't real, they are created and manipulated."

"All feelings are made or caused by, or changed because of someone else. The fact that you are feeling them is enough to make them real, human or not. Don't deny your own emotions, Shinku. They define you. As long as you believe in them...doesn't that make them true?"

The blonde doll stares into his eyes for a long time, cold blue against blazing dark brown.

"If you believe in it, even a lie becomes the truth. Is that it?" She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach the sadness that stains her eyes. "Will you believe in these lies of mine with me, Jun, so that one day I can come to love someone and not be afraid to say it?"

He nods once, a firm, determined, decisive gesture that assures her he won't back down or turn back.

_I was lying when I said I loved you._

"Still, Shinku, I mean it when I say you shouldn't joke about stuff like falling in love with someone."

The intensity in the air seems to evaporate suddenly, leaving behind a sense of displacement, as if they had gone somewhere far away and returned all in the passing of a heartbeat.

_Idiot._

"Oh, so you actually thought I was joking."

"Wait – what? You weren't?" The blood rushes rapidly to Jun's cheeks, making him feel hot and dizzy. Shinku shrugs dismissively.

"Who knows?"

"Stop doing that, goddammit! You're confusing me! Answer me, were you joking or weren't you?"

Shinku pauses for a fraction of a second and Jun isn't quite sure how to interpret her hesitation.

"Well, of course I wasn't serious."

He seems to deflate, the blush receding from his face.

"Oh," he almost sounds disappointed. "Right."

Shinku sighs, and an achingly bittersweet expression flickers across her eyes, to quickly for the clueless medium to see.

"You are too gullible, Jun. If you are going to believe my lies, at least believe in the right ones."

"Wait – what's that supposed to mean?"

"One day, I will fall in love with someone who is at least ten times smarter than you. Someone like Kunkun."

"I'm pretty sure you're already in love with him," Jun snaps, slightly irritated.

"Yes, we are connected by the red string of fate. But you know, Jun," Shinku's eyes flicker s if some untold secret lies hidden beneath them, behind a thin veil of blue that reminds him of sky reflected on the ocean, "You can change fate."

Was that supposed to mean something? Jun doesn't know. Shinku will continue as she is, but he will choose what it is in her that he believes. He will keep on believing in her feelings until she realises the truth that they were never a lie in the first place.

Love can't be false if you both believe in it.

_I may have said my words are lies,_

_But my feelings are not._

_

* * *

_

**So, I hope that was...bearable?**

**Thanks so much for reading, guys. I can't express in words how much I appreciate it. :D**


	8. H is for Hands

****

New chapter~! I think I like this chapter a lot more than the previous one. And it took much less time to write...anyhoo, I am kind of high right now after reading Sin Oan's latest Marchen chapter of EPIC, so for anyone who's looking for a fantabulous read, just go on head over there and take a squiz. Really. Some serious stuff is happening now.

**Okay, hopefully my unintelligible babbling hasn't put you off, so go forth and enjoy~! XD (Btw, formatting is still a bit dodgy. So yeah, I don't know when I'll be able to centre my titles again ;_; 'Tis very tragic).**

* * *

**_Love Letters_**

**H is for HANDS**

* * *

"I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. Take me home. I want to go home. Let's just go home now." Jun steps back one pace, then two, three...

"Sakurada Jun. Come over here this instant." Shinku's voice rings out sharply in the corridor, stern and resolute, commanding absolute obedience. She is standing before him, her small form framed in the doorway. "Do you hear me, Jun? Get back here."

They are currently situated in the second floor corridor of the local middle school – the very one that Jun used to attend and should still be attending, albeit no longer as a first year, had he not become a social recluse. Although he had seemingly felt reasonably comfortable with returning to this place whilst considering it at home, actually being here in person was much, much harder than he expected. Earlier that morning, Tomoe had dropped by in a rush on her way to a regional kendo competition.

"Please, Jun, I left some really important books back at school and we have a class test on Monday, so could you go and get them for me?" she had begged, looking uncharacteristically flustered in his doorway.

"Of course, it would be his pleasure," Shinku butted in abruptly without so much as batting an eyelid. Unfortunately for Jun, Tomoe had then thanked him without bothering to ask _him_ for an answer and promptly left, supposedly being quite late for this extremely important kendo competition. There had been no chance of Nori doing it instead of him, for she too was out on Saturday lacrosse training.

And so, here he ended up, confronted suddenly by his worst fear and nightmare – standing here in his old school, in front of his old classroom, and completely alone.

Well, not _completely _–

"Geez, puny human, when are you going to grow some balls and get moving?" Suiseiseki pouts, tapping her foot against the ground impatiently. Souseiseki stands beside her, looking around in wonder.

"Why the hell did I bring you along?"

"Because Shinku insisted. Now hurry up and do whatever it is you're supposed to, desu!"

"So this is what a school looks like. I've only seen it on television. Fascinating," murmurs Souseiseki, studying a blob of dried bubblegum stuck on the wall. She gasps and points at a permanent marker scribble on the windowsill. "Is that – could that be...the famous sign that adorns school walls all over the world...the legendary..._graffiti_?"

"Waaahhhhh~! This is fun!" Hinaichigo is here too, running around like a child let loose at an amusement park, arms and legs flailing everywhere.

"Oh, come on, Shinku, just forget about Jun, go get the book, and let's go home already! You're wasting time," Suiseiseki complains. The fifth doll doesn't budge from where she is blocking the Gardener from barging into the classroom and snatching the books herself.

"No, Suiseiseki. This is a valuable opportunity for Jun to overcome his irrational fear. It is something that he must do himself."

"Pffft. Fine, then. We'll just spend the rest of the day waiting for the useless chibi to get over himself, desu. Come on, Souseiseki, Hinaichigo, let's go wait outside and leave these two sillies together."

Shinku watches her sisters leave with a look of mild exasperation before turning back to Jun, still hyperventilating and rooted to the spot.

_Oh, did you hear about that Sakurada boy?_

_Yeah, I hear he has weird hobbies – he likes sewing and all that girl stuff._

_What a disgusting kid._

_He thinks he's so cool but he got bottom on the national tests._

_Wasn't he supposed to be one of those 'gifted' students?_

_Huh. Gifted, my arse. He was probably just lucky last time._

_Yeah, but now look at him..._

The air seems to shiver with the whispers of fleeting half-memories, too painful to fully remember, too painful to ever fully forget. He can taste the bitter humiliation on his tongue, phantom eyes staring at him in accusation, pressing up against him from all sides, squeezing against his chest...

"Jun." Shinku's clear voice rings out like a bell, a crisp, clean tone that seems to slice through the air and cut away the heavy pressure creeping up all around him. His breathing eases and he feels lighter, but when he looks up at the classroom door and takes a faltering step forward, his vision swims and blurs and he stops abruptly, breath catching in his throat.

_I can't do this._

"You can do this." The doll's tone is firm, but not unkind. "Come stand next to me, Jun."

"I...I...can't..."

"You can, Jun. I know you can," Shinku says it with such conviction that he is half-inclined to believe her. Her eyes hold his in a steady gaze, drawing him step by step closer. He is almost only a metre away from her when he halts, his feet seemingly frozen in place, unable to carry him closer. His breathing quickens abruptly too, and an overwhelming, unbearable wave of fear comes crashing down over him.

"Jun, you know you are able to do this" Shinku calls again, the pure, unwavering faith in the timbre of her voice enough to tip him onto the verge of tears. She believes in him. Jun can see it shining out of her like a light – she honestly believes that he can do this, with every strand of hair, every fibre of her body. With the same faith he has seen her fight with so often in the Alice Game, the faith that she has the ability to achieve her dreams, she beckons to him now with the belief that he too, can have faith in himself.

_I can't do this...alone...not by myself..._

_Shinku has been fighting and believing for much longer than I have._

_She has always been fighting a lonely battle...alone...for so long..._

_But I don't have even a fraction of that strength._

"Take my hand."

He blinks through his tear-clouded eyes to see Shinku's tiny hand stretched out towards him. She is smiling only very slightly, so faintly that he almost can't tell, but her eyes are as the tender as the sky's gentle breath. Slowly, ever so slowly, he reaches out until their fingertips touch lightly. And then, as his breathing calms and the fear begins to ebb away, her fingers brush across his until she has slipped her hand across his palm and gently enclosed it in hers.

She takes one step back, and he follows with a step forward.

Then another.

And another, until they are walking step for step, hand in hand.

"Come along, Jun," Shinku says quietly, leading him across the front of the room. "I believe Tomoe said she sits in the middle seat of the first row." She stops in front of a desk.

"This one?"

Jun takes a quick look at the books neatly piled on top of it.

"Yes, this is Tomoe's," he nods, surprised he is still able to even speak. He realises all of a sudden that he is no longer afraid. Indeed, some of the fear is still there, lingering at the back of his mind like a bruise that refuses to fade, but unlike before, what keeps him here now is the reassurance that he no longer needs to face it alone.

This hand intertwined with his, firm but kind, soft but strong.

So small, yet so warm. Her hand embraces his fingers the same way the first mild sunlight of spring curls around tender new green shoots and softly melts away the last of winter's harsh frost. Shinku seems to melt away his fears the same way.

"I'm sorry," he blurts out unexpectedly, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he even realises what he is saying. The blonde doll peers up curiously up at him.

"What for?"

Jun hesitates, not quite sure himself.

_For being weak?_

_For being a coward?_

"It's just that...I...even though you – "

"There is nothing to be apologising about, Jun. You did exactly what was needed of you, and that is enough."

"But I couldn't do it. I – "

"You could and you did. Aren't we standing here now?"

"I wouldn't have been able to do it if you weren't here. I can't do anything alone." His voice wavers and breaks. "You were always fighting by yourself, but I don't – "

"Jun, do you think that I would rather fight by myself than alongside others? Do you think bearing burdens alone is better than having others who would gladly shoulder them with you? Fear is unbearable unless you have someone to bear it with you, and happiness is useless unless you have someone to share it with." Shinku's hand tightens around his. They are so small, so very much smaller than his own, but her slender fingers fit in with his own like they were made to be held together, intertwined as one.

"Why do you think we seek things like love and friends and companions? Because we love to know that we are not alone. We _need_ to know."

"But I'm useless. I'm just a hindrance to those around me. I'm better off alone."

"Wrong, Jun. You are never alone." Shinku raises her hand, still clasped with his, and stretches her fingers so that they are lined up and their palms press up flat against one another. "Look."

He stares at the ring on the fourth finger of his left hand. The medium's ring, which signifies the contract Shinku has forged with him, a bond she made in the name of her Rosa Mystica.

"Our hands are always joined together, whether I am right here with you, or if I am far away on the other side of the world."

_If the past is too painful for you to gaze back,_

_If the future is too uncertain for you to see ahead,_

_Just look beside you, and I'll be there._

She holds up her hand against his, and the rings glow softly on matching fingers, warm against both their skins.

_Right here._

_Because..._

_Our hands are always joined._

* * *

**Thank you for reading~! Your time is very, very much appreciated. And now...the tiny voice in your head is telling you to review...the button beckons...XD**


End file.
